


Interlude

by SilverServerError



Series: Elf Practice [5]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: M/M, STG, Sorry this isn’t porn, i had every intention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-22
Updated: 2017-11-22
Packaged: 2019-02-05 15:49:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12797625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverServerError/pseuds/SilverServerError
Summary: Brad doesn’t take it for granted.





	Interlude

**Author's Note:**

> This is my 50th work! :D

The stars seemed closer from here. Relentless. Being above the clouds meant the constant reminder of the vastness of the universe and their tiny role inside it.

It was an uneasy feeling not at all helped by the melancholic first half Johann had just gifted them.

It was beautiful. _So_ beautiful. But…

Brad sighed and his breath escaped as mist into the darkness.

“Scoot.”

He looked up in surprise, finding a stiletto heel laced halfway up a calf nudging the side of his shoulder.

He smiled, making room for Taako on the ledge of the training facility they were using as an ad hoc concert hall. He hopped gracefully down to the grass, then tugged his short, black leather dress a few inches lower around his thighs as he sat on the stone beside him. He crossed his legs at the knee, looking out at the stars with a bored expression on his face.

“Cream puff?” He asked, holding out a napkin full of them.

Brad took one with a small smile. Taako was such a welcome distraction, and it wasn’t often the elf sought him out in public. “Did you make these?”

“Nah,” Taako shook his head, resting the napkin of snacks on his knee while his free hand propped him up from behind. “This is that Fantasy Costco frozen shit.”

“But you still eat it?”

“It’s all right.”

“You look nice tonight.”

Taako did that unconscious little preen he sometimes did. The slight arch of his back. His chest puffing out a little more. “Thanks.”

They sat for a moment in comfortable silence. Brad let his eye follow the line of Taako’s knee down to a calf where between the straps of his high heel, goosebumps had his leg hair standing on end.

“Aren’t you cold?”

Taako shook his head dismissively.

“You know what I don’t get?”

Brad watched him, focused and attentive. “What’s that?” Taako never opted to spend time with him outside of hooking up. And he certainly never volunteered conversations. Brad was going to do his best to make sure this ended a pleasant experience so Taako might consider repeating it.

“How can a guy with such low charisma be such a good bard?”

“You mean… Johann?”

“Yeah,” Taako said, alive and expressive in a way that made Brad’s smile grow wider. “Like, props. Mad props about the music. No doubt.”

“Mmhmm.”

“But come ON.”

Brad allowed himself to laugh softly. The noise distracted Taako enough to glance over. He offered another cream puff almost reflexively, and then took one himself, the next words spoken around a careless mouthful.

“I mean, I don’t know. Not to be petty, but what a waste.”

“Which part?”

Taako shrugged again. “Just, if I had a crowd like that… You know?”

Brad nodded, trying not to dispel whatever magic or distraction that had Taako speaking so freely. “I heard you were very popular.”

“Yeah, but never…” Taako trailed off, looking a little morosely into the distance.

“Music is different.”

Taako’s gaze fell to his feet, and he pointed and flexed his toes in his shoe. “Yeah, maybe.”

He lapsed into silence, and Brad let him, still just shocked the elf was talking to him, let alone about something he actually cared about.

“Taako?”

“Hmm?”

“I thought about what you said,” Brad said quietly, and Taako glanced over raising an eyebrow. “About the ‘real’ you. I hope that-“

Taako held out a hand, and though the smile on his face looked a little exasperated, the laugh that accompanied it was good-natured. “Please. I’m not about to talk fashion and presentation to a dude in khakis.”

Brad rolled his eyes but grinned. “I’m just saying I’ve been considering it.”

“It wasn’t a homework assignment.”

“No, but it made me think-“ Brad stopped talking abruptly as Taako moved to sit on his lap and popped another cream puff between his lips. He swallowed with suddenly wide eyes. Taako grinned ear to ear, then held on to Brad’s shoulder as he started tittering.

“Your face! Your face just then!”

Brad finally gave up, holding Taako’s waist steady with one hand and covering his own mouth with the other. When he got through the puff with as much dignity as possible, he went back to staring at the stars, rubbing Taako’s back gently and waiting for him to laugh himself out.

It took… It took a while.

A while he got to hold a leather clad Taako under the stars though, so…

No complaints there.

“Hey, Taako?”

“Yeah?” He asked slightly breathless, using the back of a finger to wipe away watering eyes before they could smudge his eyeliner.

“Are you going to the after party?”

He made a face. “With these nerds? Nah.”

Brad nodded, and felt his heart beat a little faster. “If you want, you could come home with me.”

Taako stiffened in his lap, and Brad instantly felt his stomach tighten. He fought the urge to grip Taako’s waist harder.

“Unless you had other plans obviously. No pressure.”

“I…” Taako bit at a lip as his ears flicked down, not pulling away, but not meeting his eye either. “I mean, after all that… The concert and stuff… I don’t know if I’m feeling it.”

“We don’t have to... We can just- You know.”

Taako didn’t really give him an answer, yes or no, but he didn’t crawl out of his lap either. Brad took a breath, then let it out slowly, trying to relax back into a silence that was suddenly stretching awkwardly.

It only eased when Taako shifted, tucking his legs the same way and scooting high on Brad’s thigh so he could lean against his chest. Brad reached out, a little hesitant, but when Taako nodded, he let his hand hold Taako’s top knee, keeping him stable so the balance wasn’t quite so precarious.

“Sirs?”

Brad cringed and Taako froze.

Then like slow motion, Taako shifted so he could glance over Brad’s shoulder. In his best, ‘actively trying to be nice when he didn't feel like it’ voice, Taako asked, “What is it, pumpkin?”

Brad finally let himself turn back, finding the silhouette of an unsure Angus Mcdonald.

“Everyone else has gone back inside, Sirs. I think the show is about to start again. I didn't want you to miss it.”

Brad started letting Taako go, but to his surprise, the elf just held him tighter. He couldn’t help the unexpected satisfaction that started radiating from his chest.

“I think we might listen to part two out here, Ango. The view is nice and the acoustics are great.”

“Are you sure?” Angus asked doubtfully.

“Posi.”

“Well, alright then,” he said, still not convinced, but wanting to get back to his seat before act two could begin. “I hope you enjoy it.”

“You too, kid!”

Brad waited a moment for them to be alone again before, “You’re sure you’re sure?”

“Yeah, shit was getting heavy in there.”

Brad nodded, knowing exactly what he meant.

“Hey,” Taako said, drawing his attention back to the surprisingly pleasant here and now. “Forget that sad shit. Get ready for a Taako original.”

Brad watched curiously as Taako started transmuting the last cream puff, trails of light tracing from his fingers as the ingredients levitated, then began to weave and transform around themselves until-

“Voila!”

Brad hesitated. “It’s… still a cream puff. Did it not work?”

Taako huffed and held the treat up impatiently to his lips. “Of course it worked. Now it’s a _good_ cream puff.”

Brad opened his mouth obligingly and-

“Oh!”

Taako grinned, preening and satisfied.

“Yeah, homie.”

“That… _Oh!_ ”

Taako grinned ear to ear, then pressed a kiss to Brad’s cheek, leaving dark lipstick behind as Brad continued to savor the tastes. He barely resisted when Taako pushed at his shoulder, guiding him to lay back.

It was familiar enough as Taako cuddled to his side, but it was surreal and amazing that it should happen here under the stars as the first notes of Johann’s second half began to float out around them. The music echoed strangely against the smooth white domes that made up their floating home.

 

 

 


End file.
